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Cheveldayoff, Jets Remain Status Quo Amid Tumultuous Season

The 2025-26 NHL season could not have started much worse for the Winnipeg Jets. From a lack of scoring to an injury to the league MVP, the Jets quickly fell behind.

Offseason signings continue to show their age and lack of speed. Youthful prospects remain buried in the minors. The coaching staff has rolled out the same lineup for the better part of the 40-game season thus far. 

"To this point, obviously, it's been very disappointing," Jets' general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at his mid-season press conference on Monday. "Top to bottom, it starts with me... we need to find a way to be better."

Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today

Roughly halfway through the season (40 of 82 games played) things have actually shown signs of regression within the veteran executive's club.

Winnipeg is 15-21-4 on the year - good for 32nd place overall, three points clear of the 31st ranked Vancouver Canucks and four points behind Calgary. It is safe to say that most of western Canada is reeling as three of its four clubs make up the league's cellar dwellers. 

Edmonton, which lost in the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, is also not having a stellar 2025-26, as it sits 16th in the league, currently clinging to one of the final postseason spots in the Western Conference. 

But this is not about the Oilers, Canucks or Flames.

It is about the Winnipeg Jets, and how the team that finished first-place last year now owns the very worst record across the league - a feat that has never occurred since the league was made up of just six teams and key players left their teams for year-long stretches after being drafted to the Second World War.

“Certainly fans in our market are very, very passionate, and that is something we care deeply about,” Cheveldayoff added.

“Again, this isn’t something you plan out, and obviously sports are unpredictable. That’s the nature of the game here now. But from a fan’s perspective, we’re going to continue to look and work, and I feel their disappointment as much as they do. It is on my shoulders each and every day. You don’t just sit there last year and win a Presidents' Trophy and feel like, ‘OK, put your feet up, it’s all good.'"

Cheveldayoff made it clear that his team's lack of success was not player, management nor coach driven, but rather a combination of all three. 

But his staff and team appear safe, for the short term, at least.

“In a situation like this, all we can control right now is the next game in front of us," the henchman added. "I don’t think that group in there feels that they’re down and out of it. I think if you look at the way things have happened even with some other teams in the NHL this year, things can happen quickly the other way as well if you get on the right track.”

Winnipeg has lost nine-straight games and shows no sign of kicking its tail spin.

Logan Stanley is the team's fourth leading scorer.

Connor Hellebuyck is the only goaltender that can find a win between the pipes.

The only goal scoring offence comes from the team's top line. 

Prospects are stonewalled by slower veteran offseason signings. 

The timing for an early first round pick couldn't be better for the Jets - an organization that has had a very difficult time drafting and developing its prospects in recent years, something it prides itself on.

But according to Chevy, that's a make-work project that he understands has been a product of stronger teams in recent years. 

“We’ve traded a lot of draft picks. We’ve done a lot of that, and I think we’re paying a little bit of a price for that right now,” he said.

With no potential demotions or promotions in sight, the same group of Jets players now return home from a winless road trip for a five-game homestand.

The first test comes on Tuesday night against Vegas, before Edmonton, Los Angeles, New Jersey and New York roll into town for games at Canada Life Centre. The Jets will play nine of their next 11 games in their home rink - a critical stretch for the outlook of the franchise. 

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Easy money. Watch Kevin Durant knock down game-winning 3-pointer as Rockets beat Suns.

Sunday night, Devin Booker drained a game-winning 3-pointer with under a second left on the clock to upset the Thunder.

One night later, the tables were turned — Kevin Durant drained a game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Rockets past his former team, the Suns, 100-97.

Easy money.

The Suns were down seven with five minutes to go in the game, but went on a 10-0 run that gave them the lead with 2:12 left, and a chance. The game was tied, but Booker's shot with 5.1 on the clock missed, opening the door for Durant and the Rockets.

Booker had 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.

Durant finished with 26 points, while Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 17. The Rockets have won 5-of-6.

It wasn't all good news for the Rockets, coach Ime Udoka said Alperen Sengun suffered a sprained right ankle and will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days.

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Carr and Kohler help No. 12 Michigan State rout USC, 80-51

Coen Carr scored 18 points and Jaxon Kohler added 16 on perfect shooting to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-51 blowout against Southern California on Monday night. Jeremy Fears Jr. had 15 points and seven assists for the Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who took control with a 27-6 run early in the game and led by at least 20 for much of the second half. Kohler made all six of his field goal attempts, including a trio of 3-pointers, and sank his only free throw.

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Red Wings Pick Up 5-3 Win Over Senators Despite Being Heavily Outshot

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The Detroit Red Wings wanted to get the bad taste of Saturday's 4-1 setback against the Pittsburgh Penguins in which they managed only 12 shots on goal out of their mouths. 

They managed to do so on Monday evening against the Ottawa Senators, and while they won't like that they were outshot by nearly a 2-1 margin, two points is two points.

The Red Wings built up a 3-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play, and then held off a rally attempt by the Senators en route to a 5-3 victory at Canadian Tire Centre.

In doing so, they leapfrogged the idle Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes to reclaim the top spot in the Eastern Conference. 

Detroit caught a break early on in the contest when, while trailing the shot totals 9-0, a would-be goal by the Senators was waived off for offside. Not long afterward, they would tally three goals of their own thanks to Andrew Copp, Dylan Larkin (PP), and James van Riemsdyk. 

The Senators managed to make things interesting in the the second period with tallies from Claude Giroux and Dylan Cozens, only to have the Red Wings respond courtesy of Lucas Raymond, scoring his first even-strength goal since late November. 

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Ottawa once again made Detroit sweat in the third period with a goal from Brady Tkachuk, which was followed by consecutive penalties on the part of the Red Wings.

But during what was a shorthanded situation after former Senator Jacob Bernard-Docker was called for slashing, Michael Rasmussen sniped home Detroit's fifth goal of the night on a two-on-one break; it was also Detroit's first shorthanded goal of the campaign. 

Just seconds later, the Senators appeared to once again cut the lead to one, but for the second time in the evening, a would-be goal was taken off the board; this time for goaltender interference. 

John Gibson was the story of the night for the Red Wings, making 35 saves. Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen was pulled after allowing three goals on just eight shots, while Hunter Shepard turned aside 10 of the 12 shots he faced in relief. 

The Red Wings will return home to face the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena. 

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Rangers let third-period lead slip, fall to Mammoth in OT, 3-2

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Durzi scored 1:06 into overtime and the Utah Mammoth beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Monday night for their second win in three games.

Dylan Guenther and Michael Carcone scored for Utah, and Karel Vejmelka had 22 saves.

Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière scored goals, and Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad each had two assists for the Rangers, who lost for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2). Igor Shesterkin stopped all nine shots he faced before he left with an apparent injury with 7 minutes remaining in the first period. Jonathan Quick replaced him and finished with 14 saves.

In the extra period, Durzi scored from the right doorstep off a pinpoint pass from Nick Schmaltz through traffic from the left circle.

Carcone tied the score 2-2 at 6:15 of the third as he drove toward the net and scored past Quick just before sliding into the goalie and knocking the net off its moorings.

Lafrenière got the Rangers on the scoreboard first, redirecting a pass from Zibanejad in front for a power-play goal at 8:29 of the second period.

Guenther tied it 4:09 later, scoring on a rush as his first shot bounced off Quick’s pad but he put the rebound past the goalie for his 21st of the season.

Trocheck gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with their second power-play goal of the period as he redirected Artemi Panarin’s point shot past Vejmelka with 3:24 remaining.

Shesterkin appeared to injure his leg when bent awkwardly with his skate on the ice as he attempted to avoid contact with Mammoth forward JJ Peterka, who was on the edge of the crease. Peterka did not appear to make contact with Shesterkin, who lay down in the net in pain while he was attended to by a trainer and then helped off the ice.

Quick came on to make the first in-game goalie substitution in the Rangers’ 44 games this season.

Highlights

Up next

Mammoth: At Ottawa on Wednesday night.

Rangers: Host Buffalo on Thursday night.

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Knicks flattened in 121-90 blowout loss to Pistons

The Knicks got their teeth kicked in throughout a 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons to extend their losing streak to four games.

Here are the takeaways...

-- New York's lack of defense as of late persisted out of the gate against the top seed in the East, who entered the contest averaging 118.8 points per game, 11th-best in the league. Sure, Cade Cunningham made some shots (14 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first half), but it wasn't just Cunningham as the rest of the Pistons got involved early and often as well, shooting 63 percent from the field and 55 percent from deep as a team in the first 24 minutes.

-- Detroit's bench, led by players like Jaden Ivey and Daniss Jenkins, scored 22 points in the first half as they were helped out by Cunningham's excellent court vision and passing ability, which gave him seven assists at halftime. By contrast, the Knicks as a team had just nine assists at the break.

-- Regardless, New York shot the ball well in the first, going 54 percent from the field and 57 percent from downtown. A lot of that production came from Jalen Brunson, who had 17 points on 8-of-13 from the floor. The point guard actually scored eight of his team's first 11 points, though the Knicks were down for the majority of that run.

Still, possessing the ball so often led to three turnovers before the break by Brunson, and he was a minus-6 on the court entering the second half.

-- Like the Pistons, though, the Knicks got some key contributions off their bench, most notably from Miles McBride, who had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in the first half while going 2-for-2 from three. The sharpshooter made three more threes in the second half to go 5-for-6 and finished with 17 points. He's been on fire from beyond the arc lately, making 46 of his last 84 three-point attempts (55 percent).

-- Going up against the best shot-blocking team in the league (6.3 blocks per game entering play), New York was blocked six times in the first half and after keeping it close in the first quarter (down 30-29), the Knicks slipped further and further behind in the second quarter and entered halftime down 64-54. 

-- New York's shooting plummeted out of the break, putting up just 15 points in the third quarter. Eight of those points came from Brunson, while the rest of the starters contributed next to nothing. Most disappointing was Karl-Anthony Towns, who needs to step up on both ends of the floor with Josh Hart still out with a sprained ankle. 

Instead, KAT finished with six points, one rebound and six turnovers. He took four shots and just two from inside the arc despite being the tallest player on the court. In fact, Detroit completely overmatched the Knicks on the glass, outrebounding them 44 to 30, even though no Piston had more than nine. Only Mitchell Robinson finished with double-digit rebounds, securing 10 boards in 25 minutes.

-- After such a disheartening third quarter by New York and no change in the fourth, head coach Mike Brown had seen enough and waved the white flag by emptying his bench with half a quarter left to play.

-- The Knicks led only once in this game, the first lead of the night after OG Anunoby made one of two free throws to give them a 1-0 lead. 13 seconds later, Duncan Robinson hit a three (and the free throw after getting fouled) and Detroit was off and running.

-- The Pistons finished with 11 blocks and 12 steals, turning over New York 20 times.

Game MVP: Cade Cunningham

Cunningham was clearly the best player on the court and finished with a double-double (game-high 29 points, 13 assists).

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks host the Los Angeles Clippers at MSG on Wednesday night with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Tariq Francis scores 30, Rutgers beats Oregon 88-85 in overtime

Tariq Francis made 10 of 16 from the field, hit 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, and scored 30 points to help Rutgers beat Oregon 88-85 in overtime on Monday night. Darren Buchanan Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer and threw down a two-hand dunk before Francis made a jumper that capped a 7-1 spurt and gave Rutgers (8-7, 1-3 Big Ten) an 87-82 lead with 1:09 to play. Buchanan, Jamichael Davis and Lino Mark each scored 13 points for the Scarlet Knights.

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Ex-Blackhawks Defender Retires & Lands New Job

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have hired former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jack Johnson as a pro scout. 

With Johnson being hired as a scout by the Canucks, this indicates that the veteran defenseman's playing career is over. Now, he will focus on helping the Canucks as they continue to move toward the future. 

Johnson attempted to play a 20th season in the NHL when he joined the Minnesota Wild at training camp on a professional tryout (PTO). However, he did not get a contract from the Wild for the season and also did not sign with another club. 

Johnson spent his final season in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he posted six assists, 21 hits, and 35 blocks in 41 games. 

Johnson was a member of the Blackhawks during the 2022-23 season, where he served as a solid mentor for the club's young players. In 58 games with the Blackhawks during that campaign, he recorded four assists, 75 hits, and 96 blocks. The Blackhawks would then trade him to the Avalanche ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline. 

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Ex-Penguins Defender Retires & Lands New Gig

Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson's playing career is over, as the 38-year-old has now landed a new job.

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have hired Johnson as a pro scout. 

After not landing a contract for the 2025-26 season from his professional tryout (PTO) with the Minnesota Wild, Johnson did not sign a deal elsewhere. Now, the longtime NHL blueliner will be beginning his off-ice career with the Canucks organization after landing this scout position. 

Johnson spent two seasons with the Penguins from 2018-19 to 2019-20. In 149 games with the Penguins over that span, the left-shot defenseman posted four goals, 20 assists, 24 points, and 416 hits. 

Johnson's time with the Penguins ended when they bought him out ahead of the 2020-21 season. From there, he went on to sign a one-year contract with the New York Rangers in free agency.

In 1,228 career NHL games, Johnson recorded 77 goals, 265 assists, and 342 points.